From the family treasure tree to build an eternal family

Chapter 300 Fugui fakes his death and retreats to the background.

late at night.

Above Ru'an Mountain.

Xu Xiaohou sat cross-legged above the clouds, with the bright moon above his head.

Beside him, twelve emerald green flying swords hovered and circled.

These flying swords are as thin as cicada wings and as narrow as willow leaves, less than a palm's length in length, with extremely sharp edges on both sides.

"go with!"

With his divine sense amplifying them, the twelve flying swords streaked across the air with barely perceptible whooshing sounds before disappearing from his sight.

These twelve flying swords were exceptionally agile, moving with the ease of his divine sense, darting back and forth through the clouds several miles away. Each sword followed its own trajectory, weaving together to form a sword formation imbued with a unique rhythm.

"receive!"

After a while, Xu Xiaohou retrieved the flying swords.

Apart from the three unique flying swords, he retracted the other nine flying swords into his body.

Those three unique flying swords had a metallic sheen on their surfaces, shining brightly.

"In two years, I used my Golden Core True Essence to refine three willow leaves into magical flying swords. At this rate, I will be able to possess twelve magical flying swords in another six years."

These "flying swords" all come from his natal spiritual plant: the Thousand-Mile Willow of Fufeng.

The natal spiritual plants refined using the secret method of "Primordial Spirit Plant Control" have various magical effects.

Xu Xiaohou's natal spiritual plant, "Fufeng Thousand-Mile Willow," is most powerful in that its leaves, which are compatible with the wind attribute, can travel thousands of miles with the wind. He can nurture the willow leaves with his golden core essence and transform them into a magical flying sword.

The willow leaves of Fufeng Qianliu are virtually endless; you can have as many as you want.

This means that Xu Xiaohou will no longer need to spend time and effort to buy flying swords; he can simply nurture them with his Golden Core True Essence.

Don't underestimate the power of the magic flying sword, even though its physical form is just a "willow leaf".

If Xu Xiaohou possessed twelve magical flying swords, his combat power would be unmatched among those of the same level, and he might even have the ability to fight beyond his level.

Golden Core cultivators, despite having the same level of cultivation, possess vastly different strengths due to differences in Golden Core cultivation methods, combat styles, secret techniques, and magical treasures.

A weak Golden Core cultivator possesses only ordinary Golden Core cultivation techniques, lacking secret methods and magical treasures to aid in combat.

A strong person possesses the strength to be invincible among those of the same level and to fight against multiple opponents.

Xu Xiaohou possesses the Golden Core Realm flying sword technique "Tiangang Flying Sword," a magical flying sword nurtured by his natal spiritual plant, and the Soul Dao secret technique from "Thousand Methods of Soul Dao." He is undoubtedly a strongman among those of the same level.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Xu Xiaohou was practicing the "Heavenly Flying Sword" when he encountered Xu Zhongxu on his way back to the sacred site in the middle of the night.

"Father, Grandpa has summoned us to a meeting."

Xu Zhongxu came to deliver a message.

"Okay, let's go now."

The two flew to Baihe Mountain.

Compared to the previous Baihe Mountain, the current Baihe Mountain has been equipped with a new spirit-gathering array set up by Xu Renkai, which has increased the area of ​​the spiritual land and the concentration of spiritual energy.

However, the spiritual vein beneath Baihe Mountain is only a first-order spiritual vein, and the spiritual energy it can provide is limited.

Therefore, most of the Xu family members lived in Ru'an Mountain, while only a few people with little talent for cultivating immortality lived in Baihe Mountain.

In an old courtyard house.

Xu Fugui summoned Xu Xiaoniu, Xu Xiaohou, Xu Zhongxu, and Xu Yiqing.

His age increased year by year, and before he knew it, he was over two hundred and thirty years old, nearing the life limit of the Foundation Establishment realm.

However, he first consumed the Longevity Fruit, and then refined the family's treasure tree into his natal spirit plant, sharing longevity with the family's treasure tree, thus achieving an endless lifespan and immortality.

Decades later, his situation will surely arouse doubt among the Xu family members.

So he came up with a solution.

"Da Niu, Xiao Hou, Zhong Xu, Yi Qing. I have summoned you here to tell you something. In twenty years, I will be over two hundred and fifty years old. Discuss a date and hold my funeral then."

His idea was to fake his death.

"what?"

"Father, your condition is still very early, why are you in such a hurry to think about your funeral?"

They all misunderstood, thinking that Xu Fugui was making arrangements for what would happen after his death.

“Grandpa, you are currently at the sixth level of Foundation Establishment. If you spare no expense to improve, and take another Turtle Year Pill, you may have a chance to advance to the Golden Core stage.”

The speaker was Xu Zhongxu. He knew that Xu Fugui was the "heaven" of the Xu family and could not simply pass away like this.

Although the lifespan limit for Foundation Establishment cultivators is 250 years, there are methods to extend their lifespan. Just as mortals have longevity pills, Foundation Establishment cultivators also have "Turtle-Year Pills" that can be used to prolong their lifespan.

The Tortoise-Year Pill is an extremely precious pill among second-grade spiritual pills, even rarer and more valuable than the Foundation Establishment Pill. One Tortoise-Year Pill can extend the lifespan of a Foundation Establishment cultivator by forty years, and its effects cannot be stacked.

"You have misunderstood."

Xu Fugui waved his hand and laughed, saying, "I can live for at least another hundred years. I had some special opportunities before, and later I used my primordial spirit to refine a unique spiritual plant as my natal spiritual plant, which is used to extend my lifespan."

I'm worried these secrets will be exposed, so I want you to hold a funeral for me and announce to the world that I'm dead.

His words were half true and half false.

"No wonder."

Xu Xiaoniu looked at Xu Fugui and said, "No wonder Father looks so young."

He is over 210 years old and is already showing signs of aging.

Xu Fugui is over 230 years old. Normally, he should have shown signs of aging soon, but he still looks like a middle-aged man in his forties, unchanged for decades.

"Then, should we gather everyone together to discuss this?"

"No, this matter is only for the four of you to know, and must not be spread outside. Only you know that I am still alive; in the eyes of others, I have died of old age."

The fewer people who know about Xu Fugui's "fake death," the better, otherwise it loses its meaning.

If Xu Yiqing hadn't been a Golden Core cultivator, and his feigned death couldn't have been kept from him, he wouldn't have told Xu Yiqing.

"Father, will we ever see you again?"

When Xu Xiaohou learned that Fugui could live for at least another hundred years, he was overjoyed but worried that Fugui's "fake death" would prevent the two of them from having a chance to meet again.

"Of course, but you can only treat me as an ordinary member of the Xu family and help me keep my identity a secret. For the next twenty years, I will go into seclusion to cultivate and live a secluded life, and I will not show my face unless necessary."

"..."

After explaining some things, Xu Fugui saw the four of them discussing that today, twenty years from now, would be the day he passed away.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Twenty years have passed peacefully.

Ru'an Mountain.

The news of Xu Fugui's death swept through the Xu family like a gust of wind.

"Our ancestor has passed away!"

"Huh? When did this happen?"

"Just now, a message came from Baihe Mountain."

"How old is the ancestor this year?"

"He must be over 250 years old, he's reached the end of his lifespan."

"Alas, time waits for no one."

"This is too sudden. I didn't even get to see the ancestor one last time. The last time I saw the ancestor was more than 20 years ago."

"Many of the younger generation in the clan have never even seen what the ancestor looked like." "..."

Those who were the most shocked by this news were the older and more senior members of the family.

For example, Xu Zhongche, Xu Zhonghuai, Li Kun, and others.

"Grandpa passed away? How could that be?!"

"I didn't even get to see my grandfather one last time before he passed away!"

"So sudden, and no one told me beforehand?"

"..."

Later, they learned from Xu Xiaoniu and Xu Xiaohou that, due to the suddenness of the incident, Xu Fugui was only accompanied by Xu Xiaoniu and Xu Xiaohou before his death, and did not have time to see his other descendants.

And so, Xu Fugui, who transformed an ordinary farming family in Baihe Village into the Xu family of immortal cultivators, died peacefully in his old age!

In the hearts of countless members of the Xu family, an era has come to an end.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After Xu Fugui's "death," his funeral was held at Ru'an Mountain, and his grave was located at Baihe Mountain.

These were his "last words." His grave is in the Baiheshan Cemetery, next to that of his wife, Feng Jiazhen. His sons, Xiaogou, Xiaoyun, and Xiaoan, are also buried in this cemetery.

The construction of the cemetery and the burial were handled by Xu Xiaoniu and Xu Xiaohou, so no one else saw Xu Fugui's remains.

This was something they had agreed upon; from then on, only Xu Xiaoniu, Xu Xiaohou, Xu Zhongxu, and Xu Yiqing would know that Xu Fugui was still alive.

The news of the death of Xu Fugui, the patriarch of the Xu family, spread quickly.

Given the Xu family's status in Yuanli County, many people came to attend the funeral.

The funeral held at Ru'an Mountain was very lively, with a constant stream of people coming to pray and pay their respects.

Given Xu Fugui's age, most of the people who knew him had already passed away. Few of the people who came to the funeral knew him; they were all there because of the reputation of the Golden Elixir Master Xu Zhongxu.

Xu Zhongxu is the only Golden Core cultivator openly recognized in the Xu family.

Among those attending the funeral were Jiang Hao's descendants. Jiang Hao was at the late Foundation Establishment stage when he passed away. Through his efforts, a Foundation Establishment Grand Master was born among his descendants, enabling the Jiang family to establish itself as a leading Foundation Establishment family.

Jiang Hao was born a mortal, and it is not easy for him to establish a Foundation Establishment family with such a background.

Jiang Hao had a close relationship with Xu Xiaoniu during his lifetime, so even after his death, his descendants continued to maintain contact with the Xu family.

"Da Niu, please accept my condolences."

An elderly man with sparse white hair came to the funeral and spoke to Xu Xiaoniu.

He is Bailiwei.

Bai Liwei was much older than Xu Xiaoniu, and about the same age as Xu Fugui. He was also nearing the end of his life and was aging rapidly.

"Brother Wei."

Xu Xiaoniu cupped his hands in greeting. He was over 230 years old this year and had also entered the ranks of elderly cultivators.

"Where's your sixth brother? I haven't seen him."

Bailiwei inquired about Xu Xiaohou.

"He guards my father's tomb at Baihe Mountain."

Xu Xiaoniu said. Because Xu Xiaohou is currently at the Golden Core stage, he does not show himself in order to conceal his cultivation level and avoid being discovered.

"Brother Wei, won't your clan provide you with a Turtle Longevity Pill?"

Xu Xiaoniu asked curiously.

With the Baili family's wealth, buying Baili Wei a longevity pill wouldn't be difficult.

But Bailiwei shook his head with a wry smile: "I have no chance of advancing to the Golden Core stage. What's the point of living a few more decades? I might as well get a Foundation Establishment Pill and give the clan one more Foundation Establishment cultivator."

For a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, the Tortoise-Year Pill, which can extend lifespan by forty years, is extremely precious.

However, from the family's perspective: is it better to let an elderly Foundation Establishment cultivator live for another forty years, or to have another young Foundation Establishment cultivator in the family?
If it is a Foundation Establishment family, they will generally choose Foundation Establishment Pills.

Within Foundation Establishment families, the number of Foundation Establishment Grandmasters is crucial. Therefore, they place great importance on Foundation Establishment Pills.

"And you, Da Niu, will your clan give you the Turtle Longevity Pill?"

Bai Liwei questioned Xu Xiaoniu.

"Me? I think I'll pass. Using the Tortoise Year Pill would be a waste."

Xu Xiaoniu felt that there were many clansmen who needed resources, so there was no need to waste the Turtle Longevity Pill on him. His thinking was the same as most families: rather than letting him live for a few more decades, it would be better to have another Foundation Establishment cultivator in the clan.

Despite the Xu family's rapid development in recent years, resources have always been in short supply as the number of clansmen has increased.

The Xu family's only source of resources is currently Ru'an Mountain.

As a vast second-tier spiritual land, Ru'an Mountain generates a considerable amount of "mountain occupation tax" every year.

Resources are scarce, so all resources must be used sparingly.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The lively funeral procession continues at Ru'an Mountain.

A corner that no one notices.

Xu Fugui, dressed in simple clothes, used the secret method of the Soul Path to control his cultivation at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, looking like a spiritual farmer planting spiritual plants as he watched the crowds coming and going.

It's a strange feeling to watch others attend your own funeral.

He arrived at the banquet, found a seat, and began drinking by himself.

"After I'm gone, the Xu family will depend on them. I wonder if they can manage the Xu family's development well."

Xu Fugui thought.

At this moment, a middle-aged man noticed Xu Fugui: "Hey, you've come to the wrong place. This is where our Xu family members hold their banquet; outsiders' banquets are elsewhere."

He had never met Xu Fugui before and found him unfamiliar, assuming he was a stranger who had come to attend the funeral.

Xu Fugui laughed and said, "I am a member of the Xu family. Who are you?"

"Hmm? I've never seen you before. I'm Xu Renyao."

“Renyao? You belong to the Ren generation. I should call you my great-grandfather. I come from Baihe Mountain. I am Xu Lianggu, from the Liang generation. My great-grandfather was Renxin. My family lineage is from Xiao'an.”

Xu Lianggu, this is the identity Xu Fugui fabricated.

Xiao'an's branch of the clan has many members, but most of them have poor talent for cultivation and short lifespans. Few people could recognize the identity he fabricated, and no one would suspect it.

"Oh, so you're from Baihe Mountain. I didn't recognize you. Please come visit me sometime."

Xu Renyao and Xu Fugui exchanged pleasantries.

In fact, Xu Fugui knew Xu Renyao when they were children. However, after so many years, Xu Renyao no longer remembered Xu Fugui.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After Xu Fugui's funeral, the Xu family continued to develop as before.

A few years later, Xu Zhonghuai, who had been the head of the Xu family, stopped serving as the head of the family due to his advanced age.

Therefore, the Xu family members began to discuss the selection of a new family head.

Xu Zhonghuai has been the head of the family for over a hundred years. When he first became the head of the family, he was still in the Qi Refining stage, but now he has reached the sixth level of the Foundation Establishment stage.

At that time, the selection of the head of the family was based on the rules discussed under the leadership of Xu Fugui. Members of the Xu family registered, and the selection of the head of the family was determined by the "Clan Elders Hall".

Over the years, as the Xu family has grown, the original quota of five people for the "Clan Elders' Hall" has become too small.

Xu Yiqing, who was at the Golden Core stage of the Xu family, was not listed in the clan elders' hall because of his slightly lower seniority.

So after their discussion, they decided to change the rules: the clan elders' hall would be changed to ten people, consisting of the five people with the highest seniority and the five people with the highest cultivation level.

(End of this chapter)